'Nggapulu' set for maiden voyage

JAKARTA: Luxury vessel Nggapulu, the newest in the fleet belonging to national cruise liner PT Pelni, will set sail on its maiden voyage on Sunday for the route across eastern Indonesia.

The passenger ship, named after a peak of the snowy Jayawijaya mountains in Papua, will set sail from the port in Jayapura, the capital of the country's easternmost province, after being inaugurated by Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar.

The German-made Nggapulu will replace the Sinabung, which will serve passengers in western Indonesia.

At 146.5 meters long and 23.4 meters wide, the new ship has a capacity of 2,000 seats, with a maximum speed of 22.4 knots.

Shipmaker Meyer Werft handed in the vessel on Feb. 26 to Indonesia, which has ordered 22 vessels from the German shipbuilding company since 1983.

Nggapulu is one of four luxury cruisers plying east Indonesia. -- Antara